183 - 16th - Ready to sail

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 16th May'08

The waters seem to be deep and troubled. There is a high probability that this turbulence could take its toll on me. But that won't stop me to step in and face the challenge. I need to take my chances and see if it was worth it. Because if I don't, I would never know whether the magic was for real. Whether something which looked so beautiful and amazing was really worth giving a chance.

So, I have decided to jump in and test the waters. I am ready to sail.

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182 - 15th - As if I'm dreaming

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 15th June'08

I was sitting and observing this group of children for a long time. The sheer happiness & the vivid expressions on their face made me forget everything and just stare at them. They took me into a third world, free of all worries and sadness, where I too was a kid, void of all earthly attachments.

When I clicked the photo, it was as if my thoughts had just descended into the camera.

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180 - 13th - On the rocks

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 13th June'08

The sun was just coming out of its slumbers and I could see the dark orange light scattered all over the horizon. I had painted exactly the same scene in my mind since the previous night & I knew that to get this shot, I had to be at the right place, at the right time. The ball of fire was growing big and I was still far away from the "clickable" spot. So, I put the camera around my neck and raced towards the rocks. Just to reach in time and get the picture I had thought of.

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179 - 12th - At the beach

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 12th June'08

A lazy Sunday evening, probably a holiday for these fishermen too. All the boats were anchored ashore and the fishing nets bundled, scattered everywhere. Fishermen were lazing around; some chatting in pairs, others perched on their boats, staring idly at the vast stretch of the ocean in front of them.

This was the scene at a beach in Mahabalipuram on one fine Sunday evening.

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178 - 11th - Yellow bouquet

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 11th June'08

A bunch of yellow flowers, hanging on a thin branch & making it swing under their weight. In fact, the whole plant was laden with these small yellow bouquets. If you look from a distance, you could see a magnificent view of a yellow shrub glowing in the glory of its beautiful flowers.

I took this photo at a beach resort in Mahabalipuram, near Chennai.

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88 - 13th - Engraved

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 13th Mar'08

Man has found many different ways to symbolize his faith. God can be seen residing at all imaginable places, on the road side, in parks, deep in jungles & any other nook & corner you can think of. After all, God is supposed to be ubiquitous.

I took this photo at a beach in Mahabalipuram, where a small statue was engraved right in the heart of this huge rock. The golden rays of the rising sun were hitting the rock right on its face to give it a magnificent shine.

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86 - 11th - Local businessmen

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 11th Mar'08

India is famous for its art and artifacts. The art can be seen in hundred different forms; jewels, paintings, dresses, show-pieces etc. Tourists visiting the country find these things very peculiar and often carry loads of them back to their countries as souvenirs.

I took this photo when a local woman was trying to sell some beads to a tourist. The negotiating skills and the local version of English language of these women are really noteworthy. I actually sat there for around 20 minutes, just to see how she manages to sell a small chain of beads for around 200 INR.


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85 - 10th - On the rocks

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 10th Mar'08

Nothing much to say about this one. The beauty of the scenery says it all. The view of the rising Sun blended with foaming sea water and a spread of rocks in front is surely a pleasing sight.

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84 - 9th - The perfect dining

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 9th Mar'08

A sea side restaurant, endless stretch of sand and water extending in front of you, cool breeze hitting your face and the sweet aromas of a typical south Indian kitchen entering your nostrils; its really a perfect setting for a dreamy, romantic date. You just dissolve in the surroundings and totally surrender yourself to the magical combination of sweet music, dim lights and the
magnificence of mother nature.

This is a typical setting for most of the beach restaurants in & around Chennai. Night being their peak business time, they don't leave any stone unturned to lay a perfect bait and lure you to fall to your temptations.


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83 - 8th - The cobbler

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 8th Mar'08

Different people do different things to earn a living. Some sit in air conditioned offices and surf through their day while other not-so-fortunate ones struggle endlessly, day after day, under the blazing sun.

This man, finding his way through yet another tough day of his life, working under heavy heat & unbearable humidity; when asked for a photo, readily agreed for it with a humble smile on his face. I drew endless inspiration from him and was thankful to God for making me realize some important lessons of life.

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82 - 7th - Early morning Yoga

Originally clicked & uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 7th March'08

India has given an invaluable gift to the world in the form of "Yoga". Thousands of foreigners can be seen flocking the ashrams of many Indian god-men & also the innumerable Yoga centers spread all over the country. Yoga has undisputed become the modern age health mantra for many people round the world.

This couple meditation in front of the rising sun is a live example of the same.

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81 - 6th - The sunrise

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 6th Mar'08

Its was 6 in the morning & despite only 2 hours of sleep last night, I was waiting for the sun to rise at the nearby beach in Mahabalipuram. The considerable long wait, given my swollen eyes, finally paid off when that orange ball of fire emerged from the lap of the ocean. I took many shots at different stages of the sunrise, but this one was my favorite.

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80 - 5th - The sea-side temple

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 5th Mar'08

An ancient temple, standing on a tall bed of rocks, overlooking the vast stretch of blue sea, flooded with hundreds of tourists - a perfect combination for a picturesque landscape.

This is one of the popular tourist attractions in the small city of Mahabalipuram, some 60kms from Chennai. From a distance you can see this perfect scenery in one eye span. It looks like a page torn from a calendar of natural sceneries.

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79 - 4th - The brown grass

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 4th Mar'08

Sitting right in the middle of a busy sideway leading to the beach, trying to focus your camera on a what's-so-special-in-that type of brown wild grass, you take a risk of appearing weird and insane to the people passing by. In the end, the risk was worth being taken as I ended up getting this crisp and clear macro.

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78 - 3rd - Friendly shadows

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 3rd Mar'08

As the sun shone brightly at our backs, four of us stood near the beach staring at the high rising waves of the sea. Nothing else in this world can match the joy of spending a whole weekend with your friends at a far away empty beach resort.

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77 - 2nd - The "seafood" platter

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 2nd March'08

During my recent trip to Mahabalipuram we were dining at a sea-side restaurant when I saw this huge platter decorated right at the entrance of the place. It contained a long fish, which probably was an eel, a plate full of grilled lobsters & some two other varieties of fishes drenched in tasty South Indian masalas. Though I am a vegetarian & I detest the smell of sea-food I couldn't resist clicking this "unusually filled-up" platter of murdered sea creatures.

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76 - 1st - King of Good Times

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 1st March'08

Often I end up in interesting stretched arguments with my friends when I discuss the relevance and a sane logic behind people drinking alcohol. I, being a strict non-alcoholic, often find myself sidelined in such arguments. People with opposite opinion always outnumber me, though I never got a convincing reason from their side.

Though its one's personal choice in the end, I personally believe that drinking alcohol is like paying for your own slow-death.

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